ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Startup India launches Startup applications for MAARG Portal
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade , under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has launched a call for startup applications for registration on the MAARG portal, the National Mentorship Platform by Startup India.
To further boost the Indian startup ecosystem, currently ranked 3rd largest globally, Startup India is focused on catalysing the startup culture and building a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India. In this context, MAARG portal - Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience and Growth, is a one stop platform to facilitate mentorship for startups across diverse sectors, functions, stages, geographies, and backgrounds. The objectives of the MAARG portal are –
•To provide sector focused guidance, handholding, and support to startups throughout their lifecycle
•To establish a formalized and structured platform that facilitates intelligent matchmaking between the mentors and their respective mentees
•To facilitate efficient and expert mentorship for startups and build an outcome-oriented mechanism that allows timely tracking of the mentor-mentee engagements
Startups can now effectively connect with academicians, industry experts, successful founders, seasoned investors, and other experts from across the globe, through Artificial Intelligence  based matchmaking, to get personalized guidance on growth and strategy. The key features of the portal include customizable mentorship programs for ecosystem enablers, mobile-friendly user interface, recognition for contributing mentors, video and audio call options, etc.
The MAARG Portal is being operationalized in three phases,
1.Phase I: Mentor Onboarding
Successfully launched and executed, 400+ expert mentors are onboarded across sectors
2.Phase II: Startup Onboarding
DPIIT is launching the onboarding of startups on the MAARG Portal with effect from 14th November 2022
3.Phase III: MAARG Portal Launch and Mentor Matchmaking
Final launch where the mentors will be matched to the startups DPIIT has initiated onboarding process of startups under Phase II. All interested startups are encouraged to apply at https://maarg.startupindia.gov.in.
Innovations are the inevitable engines of growth for a nation, and India alone is home to more than 82,000+ DPIIT recognised startups and over 107 Unicorns. Entrepreneurship is the foundation of our great nation’s economic wealth and prosperity, and we are quickly transforming from a nation of job seekers to a nation of job creators.
Ministry of Food Processing Industries
Food Processing Projects worth Rs 234.68 Crores approved
Shri Narendra Singh Tomar chairs IMAC Meeting
Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, chaired the IMAC meeting through video conference today to consider the proposals received under the Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Cluster  of Pradhan Mantri KisanSampada Yojana . The promoters of projects also participated through Video Conference.
IMAC approved 7 proposals with total project cost of Rs. 234.68 Crores including grants-in-aid of Rs. 60.87 Crores in the States/UTs of Meghalaya, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra. These projects will leverage private investment of Rs. 173.81 Crores and are expected to generate employment for 7750 persons.
The scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Cluster  has been approved on 03.05.2017 under the Pradhan Mantri KisanSampada Yojana to incentivize the setting up of agro processing clusters in the country. This scheme aims at development of modern infrastructure to encourage entrepreneurs to set up food processing units based on cluster approach. These clusters will help in reducing the wastage of the surplus produce and add value to the horticultural / agricultural produce which will result in increase of income of the farmers and create employment at the local level.
Ministry of Defence
DGBRO Visits Joshimath to take Stock of Damages Due to GLOF
Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, DG Border Roads visited Joshimath sector today to take stock of the ongoing rescue, relief and rehabilitation works being carried out by BRO in the aftermath of damages that took place due to Glacial lake outburst flood  in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on 07th Feb 2021, which triggered an avalanche and deluge that washed away hydroelectric stations and trapped some workers. The GLOF in the Rishiganga River also washed away a 90 mtr RCC bridge of BRO on Joshimath – Malari road near Raini Village. This bridge was the only link to Niti border.
DG Border Roads said that “BRO true to its motto “ShramenaSarvamSadhaym” has quickly swung into action for rescue and rehabilitation work by inducting more than 100 Vehicles / Equipments and plants which include about 15 Heavy Earth Moving Equipments like Hydraulic Excavators, Dozers, JCBs, Wheel Loaders etc. BRO has also Air inducted critical Equipment with the help of Indian Air Force. Almost 20 teams of 21 BRTF under Project Shivalik have been deployed for rescue and rehabilitation purposes. After initial reccee, BRO started work for re-establishing connectivity on all required fronts. The site was very challenging due to steep cliff on far bank and 25-30 mtr high debris/ muck on the other side, however, BRO has overcome these challenges and construction of abutment on the far bank has been completed and work on the home bank is progressing on war footing, Bailey bridge components are being sourced from various locations.”
While lauding the hard work and sincere efforts being put in by team Shivalik, DG Border Roads told that BRO is working round the clock under extreme weather conditions to re-establish connectivity at the earliest by launching a bailey bridge of 200 feet. He also said that although the primary task of BRO is to ensure that lines of communication are through, BRO has also been playing a pivotal role in search and rescue operations to locate the missing persons. Towards this BRO has deployed four heavy duty machines and have been able to recover some bodies so far from Raini power house location. BRO is working in close coordination with the State Government. He also thanked the State Government for providing support and assistance to BRO in accomplishing their task.
ABB/Nampi/DK/Rajib
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Ministry of Finance
Monthly Review of Accounts of Union Government of India upto the month of January 2022 for Financial Year 2021-22
The Monthly Account of the Union Government of India upto the month of January, 2022 has been consolidated and reports published. The highlights are given below:-
The Government of India has received Rs. 18,71,516 crore  upto January, 2022 comprising Rs. 15,47,436 crore Tax Revenue , Rs. 2,91,485 crore of Non-Tax Revenue and Rs. 32,595 crore of Non Debt Capital Receipts. Non-Debt Capital Receipts consists of Recovery of Loans Rs. 20,527 crore and Miscellaneous Capital Receipts of Rs. 12,068 crore. Rs. 5,45,392 crore has been transferred to State Governments as Devolution of Share of Taxes by Government of India upto January, 2022.
Total Expenditure incurred by Government of India is Rs. 28,09,384 crore , out of which Rs. 23,67,698 crore is on Revenue Account and Rs. 4,41,686 crore is on Capital Account. Out of the Total Revenue Expenditure, Rs. 6,14,626 crore is on account of Interest Payments and Rs. 3,27,703 crore is on account of Major Subsidies.
Ministry of Tourism
The 2nd Tourism Working Group Meeting of G20 to be held at Siliguri/Darjeeling  from 1st-3rd April 2023
Deeper and broad aspects of the five priorities of Tourism Working Group to be discussed at the second meeting : Shri Arvind Singh
The 2nd Tourism Working Group Meeting will be held at Siliguri/Darjeeling  from 1st-3rd April 2023.
Briefing the media Secretary Tourism, Shri Arvind Singh said that the five priorities of Tourism Working Group, Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, Tourism MSMEs, Destination Management were introduced in the 1st Tourism Working Group Meeting and were endorsed by all the G20 Members, Invitee Countries, and International Organizations. He said that during the second TWG meeting, all the G20 Members, Invitee Countries and International Organizations will be discussing deeper and broad aspects of the five priorities on Tourism Working Group.
Shri Arvind Singh said that Ministry of Tourism, Government of India is hosting a Side Event on ‘Adventure Tourism as a vehicle for achieving Sustainable Development Goals’. Seven North-eastern states will give presentations on adventure Tourism in the side event.
Mrs. Gabriella Stowell  from Adventure Tour Operators Association , G20 Delegates and Padma Shri Awardee Mr. Ajeet Bajaj, President of Adventure Tour Operators Association of India , have been invited to participate as panelists. A full day event has been organized for domestic industry partners and States of Government of India to deliberate on Tourism in Mission Mode: Advantage Adventure Tourism.
Briefing the media Shri Arvind Singh further said that a technical tour to Darjeeling has been planned during the 2nd TWG Meeting. Darjeeling, the queen of hills, overlooks the mighty Kanchenjunga.
In the second TWG Meeting one of the main attractions will be the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway  also known as ‘Toy Train Ride’. The ride will be from Ghum, India’s highest railway station  to Batasia Loop.
During the meeting all the Delegates will have tea tasting and moonlight tea leaf plucking experience.Delegates will also be taken for a visit to Raj Bhawan, the summer residence for the Governor of West Bengal. A cultural program and immersive experience of Art & Craft is being organized at Chowrasta , Darjeeling and there will also be display of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute  products.
An exhibition will be opened for general public from 3rd to 5th April 2023 to increase awareness of India’s G20 Presidency and promotion of sustainable practices under Adventure Tourism at the Mall Road, Darjeeling.
ODOP souvenirs from the Burdwan District; Malda District  ; Bankura District ; Kalimpong District  of West Bengal would be highlighted during the event.
Click here for complete details of the Meeting
Click here for Details on Adventure Tourism
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
IFFI announces its collection of films from Master filmmakers
The International Film Festival of India  has been a platform for new and old cinematic talents from all parts of the world. In 2019, IFFI celebrates the Golden Jubilee of its journey and this year also as tradition a section for such Master filmmakers is curated like previous editions titled Master Frames.
The section has 17 films in it by filmmakers of international repute like Pedro Almodovar, Lav Diaz, Xavier Dolan, Dardenne Brothers, Costa Gavras, Wernor Herzog, Hirokazu Koreeda, Fatih Akin and more. The films in this category are, About Endlessness by Roy Andersson, Adults in the Roomby Costa Gavras, By The Grace Of God by Francois Ozon, Commitment by Semih Kaplanoglu, Daniel by Niels Arden Oplev, Devil Between The Legs by Arturo Ripstein, Family Romance LLC by Werner Herzog, Guest Of Honor by Lifetime Achievement Award Winner of IFFI 2017 Atom Egoyan, Matthias & Maxime by Xavier Dolan, Mr. Jones by Agniezka Holland, Pain And Glory by Pedro Almodovar, The Golden Gloveby Fatih Akin, The Haltby Lav Diaz, The Truthby Hirokazu Koreeda, The Weasel’s Taleby Juan José Campanella and Young Ahmedby Dardenne Brothers.
50th IFFI will be having World Premiere of Turkish Master Semih Kaplanoglu’s film Commitment which is the Oscar entry from Turkey this year. Nearly most films in this category are premiering for the first time in India since their completion of production which is a matter of pride for IFFI.
IFFI proudly showcases the films and their makers to the large number of film enthusiasts especially from the Indian subcontinent who flock the festival every year eagerly hoping to have a glimpse of the world cinema.
2019 marks the 50th year of the International Film Festival of India , which is often counted amongst one of the earliest film festivals of the Asian continent. The 50th International Film Festival of India,2019 will witness over 200 best films from 76 countries, 26 feature films and 15 non feature films in Indian panorama section and more than 10,000 people and film lovers are expected to participate in the golden jubilee edition.
Ministry of Defence
Another boost to Aatmanirbharta in Defence: DAC approves AoN for nine capital acquisition proposals for the Armed Forces worth Rs 45,000 crore
Procurement of Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles, Integrated Surveillance & Targeting System and Next Generation Survey Vessels gets a nod
Proposals for avionic upgradation of Dornier Aircraft; procurement of Dhruvastra Short Range Air-to-Surface Missile & 12 Su-30 MKI Aircraft also cleared
Time to upgrade indigenisation ambitions; We should aim for a minimum 60-65% indigenous content: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh
Defence Acquisition Council  has accorded Acceptance of Necessity  for nine capital acquisition proposals of approx. Rs 45,000 crore. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on September 15, 2023. All these procurements will be made from Indian vendors under Buy /Buy  category which will give substantial boost to the Indian defence Industry towards achieving the goal of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
To enhance protection, mobility, attack capability and increased survivability of Mechanised Forces, the DAC accorded the AoN for procurement of Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles  and Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System . The DAC cleared AoN for procurement of High Mobility Vehicle  Gun Towing Vehicles for swift mobilisation and deployment of Artillery Guns and Radars.
The DAC also approved procurement of Next Generation Survey Vessels for the Indian Navy which will greatly enhance its capabilities in performing Hydrographic Operations.
The DAC also accorded AoN for proposals of the Indian Air Force which included Avionic upgradation of Dornier Aircraft to improve the accuracy and reliability for operations. The procurement of Dhruvastra Short Range Air-to-Surface Missile as a potent Indigenous Precision Guided Weapon for indigenously built ALH Mk-IV Helicopters has been cleared by the DAC. The AoN for procurement of 12 Su-30 MKI Aircraft with associated equipment from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited  was also accorded.
During the meeting, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that it is time to upgrade the ambitions towards indigenisation. “Rather than a threshold of 50% indigenous content for IDDM projects, we should aim for a minimum 60-65% indigenous content,” he said. The Raksha Mantri directed the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, Defence Secretary and DG  to work towards increasing the minimum indigenous content threshold in consultation with the Indian Industry.
Ministry of Finance
NACEN TO IMPART GST TRAINING
PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
BENGALURU
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Benefiting the tribal livelihoods of Odisha through the Van Dhan Yojana
As a part of TRIFED’s “Sankalp se Siddhi” - Village & Digital Connect Drive, teams  have beenvisiting villages to activate and understand the status of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras. The visits are taking place across the country and have helped Team TRIFED to oversee the ground-level implementation of the Van Dhan Vikas Kendras.
A state where the implementation of the Van Dhan Yojana is gaining quick ground is Odisha. With 660 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, subsumed into 22 Van Dhan Vikas Kendra Clusters, more than 6300 tribals are being positively impacted in the state.
Over the past few months, training, procurement of machinery required for processing, branding and packaging has been going on in these clusters which are spread across the state in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Sundergarh and Koraput. Production and processing of raw materials by the tribals has commenced earlier this month.
In Mayurbhanj district, tribal beneficiaries in three clusters, Luguburu VDVKC, MaaDharithri VDVKC and Bhimakund VDVKC will work on processing sal leaf, sal seeds, kusum seeds and wild honey to produce plates, cups made of sal leaves, Kusum oil and processed honey. In Keonjhar districts, tribal beneficiaries of theAnchalikaKhandadhar VDVKC will process raw mango, mustard and turmeric into Aampapad, mango pickle, turmeric powder and mustard oil. In Ban Durga VDVKC cluster the MFPs which will be value added are tamarind, sal seeds and char seeds to be made into deseeded tamarind, tamarind cake, sal shampoo and packed char seeds.
Other value-added products that will be processed in the VDVK clusters in the districts of Koraput, Rayagada and Sundargarh include tamarind cake, mahua oil, organic packaged rice, Mahua oil, neem oil, neem cake, deseeded chironji and turmeric powder.
Among the many initiatives, TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing to generate employment and income generation among the tribal population is the Van Dhan tribal start-ups programme, a component of the the ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce  through Minimum Support Price  & Development of Value Chain for MFP’ Scheme.
The Van Dhan tribal start-ups, also a component ofthe same scheme, is a programme for value addition, branding & marketing of Minor Forest Produces by establishing Van DhanKendras to facilitate creation of sustainable livelihoods for the forest-based tribes.
Over the past 18 months, the Van Dhan Vikas Yojana has gained tremendous ground with its quick adoption and robust implementation aided by the state nodal and implementation agencies across India.
With the VDVKCs gaining ground and starting production in Odisha with these clusters, the benefits of this programme will reach the tribals of this Eastern State and help in improving their lives and livelihoods.
Prime Minister's Office
PM addresses the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Brahma Kumaris family via video conferencing
PM addresses the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Brahma Kumaris family via video conferencing
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today addressed the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Brahma Kumaris family, via video conferencing.
Welcoming the delegates to the International Conference and Cultural Festival from India and abroad, the Prime Minister paid his respects to Dada Lekhraj, the founder of Prajapita Brahmakumari Ishvariya Vishvidyalaya. He also praised Dadi Janki ji, describing her as a true Karma Yogi, who continues to serve society even at the age of 100 years.
The Prime Minister appreciated the work done by the Brahma Kumaris institution in many fields, including in solar energy. He called for expanding the use of digital transactions to bring down corruption.
The Prime Minister also touched upon themes such as Swachh Bharat, and LED lighting, and spoke of their benefits.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID19 Vaccination: Myth vs. Facts
States/ UTs had been informed adequately in advance regarding Vaccine doses being made available to them in July
States/ UTs to receive more than 12 crore doses of vaccine in July
Recently, there have been some media reports alleging that there was 32% less vaccination in the last one week as compared to the week preceding it.
It is clarified that all States/ UTs are being informed much in advance about the doses that will be available during the month of July, 2021 including the supply to private hospitals. The States/UTs have been advised to plan their COVID -19 Vaccination sessions based on the availability of the COVID vaccines.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, based on the discussion with the manufacturers, had communicated to all States/ UTs that they will receive more than 12 crore doses of COVID vaccine in the month of July 2021. Till today morning, over 2.19 crore doses have already been supplied to all States/ UTs from July’s supply. The states are also being informed adequately in advance of the supply of COVID vaccines being sent to them.
Further, all states have also been requested to share likely indicative demand in case more doses of vaccine are required by them in view of increased coverage.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Consumers to pay less for edible oils with reduction in Basic Import Duty on Refined Soyabean oil and Refined Sunflower Oil by 5%
Basic Import Duty on Refined Soyabean oil and Refined Sunflower Oil reduced from 17.5% to 12.5% w.e.f. today
Move to augment earlier measures taken by Government to reduce the prices of Edible Oils in the domestic market
In order to ensure availability of edible oil to consumers at affordable prices, the Central Government has reduced the Basic Import Duty on Edible Oils. An order to this effect was issued by the Department of Food and Public Distribution vide Notification No. 39/2023 - Customs, dated 14th June, 2023 wherein the Basic Import Duty on Refined Soyabean Oil  and Refined Sunflower Oil  has been reduced from 17.5% to 12.5% with effect from today. This will remain in force till 31st March, 2024.
The decision is expected to augment the earlier measures taken by the Government to reduce the prices of Edible Oils in the domestic market. The Basic Import Duty is an important factor which impacts the landed cost of Edible Oils which in turn affects the domestic prices. Reduction in Import Duty on Refined Sunflower Oil and Refined Soyabean Oil will benefit the consumers, as it will help in easing the domestic retail prices.
The Import Duties on Refined Soyabean Oil and Refined Sunflower Oil were last reduced from 32.5% to 17.5% in October, 2021. This was done as during the year 2021, the international prices were very high, which was getting reflected in the domestic prices as well.
The Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is closely monitoring the prices of Edible Oil in the country and ensuring its adequate availability to consumers.